Tuesday's letters: Main Street

Published: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.

To the editor: We have been visiting Hendersonville for over five years and have yet to see any absence of construction on Main Street over this time span. How many more years will the merchants and visitors have to put up with continuing construction projects?

Finish the projects on Main this summer and turn your “improvement” efforts toward the blight one encounters between Ace Hardware and AutoZone. Shame on the city for not cleaning up the abandoned homes and businesses along this stretch.

John Ely

Germantown

Noise ordinance

To the editor: Under the Henderson County noise ordinance, there are certain criteria that determine if a dog is in violation. Those criteria are vague, and the investigating officer has leeway in deciding whether to impound a dog. If a dog is “provoked,” the dog is not in violation.

I was told by a county deputy that if I am out in my yard, even if I am just sitting or gardening, it is a provocation to the neighbor dogs and that even if the barking or howling continues uninterrupted for hours, and no matter how loud it is, the dogs are not in violation. It’s a dog’s natural response, he said.

The fact that dogs are territorial and bark at other people does not give dog owners the right to disturb my and my other neighbors’ peace. I want to continue living in this wonderful county and continue bringing dollars into the community from outside through my software business. But this situation is completely outrageous.

If you agree, ask the sheriff to strengthen enforcement, or ask the Henderson County commissioners to strengthen the ordinance.

Paul Bennett

Hendersonville

Liberal attacks

To the editor: Propaganda works. The secret is relentlessness. Liberals have twisted the “right to bear arms” into a “debate” about hunting and/or self-defense. “Bearing arms” has a whole other meaning. When Jefferson said, “Let them take up arms,” he wasn’t thinking of burglars.

Apparently not comfortable with the First Amendment either, several local liberals have demanded that the Times-News not publish “hateful” letters (like mine).

Liberals are also working relentlessly to twist “no establishment of religion” into “no public display of Christianity.” Crosses, crèches, the Ten Commandments and public prayer offend them and are under constant attack. They say this makes them “feel unwelcome.” There is no natural right to feel welcome wherever you go. But there is a natural right to religious freedom, without which there is no freedom at all.

Christianity charges its adherents with carrying its message to all people. Certainly, the Founders believed they were protecting the right to do so. James Madison, author of the Constitution, said, “We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self government; upon the capacity … to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

Why are liberals attacking fundamental rights? What is their motivation?

<p>To the editor: We have been visiting Hendersonville for over five years and have yet to see any absence of construction on Main Street over this time span. How many more years will the merchants and visitors have to put up with continuing construction projects?</p><p>Finish the projects on Main this summer and turn your improvement efforts toward the blight one encounters between Ace Hardware and AutoZone. Shame on the city for not cleaning up the abandoned homes and businesses along this stretch.</p><p><em>John Ely</em></p><p><em>Germantown</em></p><h3>Noise ordinance</h3>
<p>To the editor: Under the Henderson County noise ordinance, there are certain criteria that determine if a dog is in violation. Those criteria are vague, and the investigating officer has leeway in deciding whether to impound a dog. If a dog is provoked, the dog is not in violation.</p><p>I was told by a county deputy that if I am out in my yard, even if I am just sitting or gardening, it is a provocation to the neighbor dogs and that even if the barking or howling continues uninterrupted for hours, and no matter how loud it is, the dogs are not in violation. It’s a dog’s natural response, he said.</p><p>The fact that dogs are territorial and bark at other people does not give dog owners the right to disturb my and my other neighbors’ peace. I want to continue living in this wonderful county and continue bringing dollars into the community from outside through my software business. But this situation is completely outrageous.</p><p>If you agree, ask the sheriff to strengthen enforcement, or ask the Henderson County commissioners to strengthen the ordinance.</p><p><em>Paul Bennett</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p><h3>Liberal attacks</h3>
<p>To the editor: Propaganda works. The secret is relentlessness. Liberals have twisted the right to bear arms into a debate about hunting and/or self-defense. Bearing arms has a whole other meaning. When Jefferson said, Let them take up arms, he wasn’t thinking of burglars.</p><p>Apparently not comfortable with the First Amendment either, several local liberals have demanded that the Times-News not publish hateful letters (like mine).</p><p>Liberals are also working relentlessly to twist no establishment of religion into no public display of Christianity. Crosses, crèches, the Ten Commandments and public prayer offend them and are under constant attack. They say this makes them feel unwelcome. There is no natural right to feel welcome wherever you go. But there is a natural right to religious freedom, without which there is no freedom at all.</p><p>Christianity charges its adherents with carrying its message to all people. Certainly, the Founders believed they were protecting the right to do so. James Madison, author of the Constitution, said, We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self government; upon the capacity to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.</p><p>Why are liberals attacking fundamental rights? What is their motivation?</p><p><em>Boyd Peyton</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p>